NightFall
by DA Whisper
Summary: Waking up to a living nightmare. Trying to live in a world thats dead while dealing with Love and Drama. living with out love isn't really living. Rated for Language and AC
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do Not Own Any characters from "Walking Dead or GW A/C "I do how ever claim O/C's and story line. Though I'm using characters from GW A/C I'm not titling this a cross over.

Rated M for Violence, AC.

Night Fall.

DA. Whisper

Prologue

The light flashed green and the lock on the door clicked, allowing the doctor to pull it open. He held a clipboard in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. He walked past a long row of lab stations. A few people wearing white hazmat suits stood around a large glass box. A micro scoop, slowly moving inside, fed a picture of a slimy green blob at the bottom, to a flat screen TV mounted to a counter. The doctor ignored them as he made his way to his own work station in another room.

He put his coffee down and pulled a hazmat suit on. Another door clicked open and he walked into a large lab. It was bright, almost blinding if you weren't use to it. Another man stood across the room taking notes. Another large glass container buzzed with flies.

"I see you've been busy Carter."

"Yes, well the tests came back this morning with surprising results. I think another month and we'll be ready for human testing."

Carter handed the doctor a folder. The doctor opened it and scanned the pages.

"I wish this had come sooner."

"Why's that Doctor Pint? We're ahead of schedule. "

"I'm afraid I have some bad news Carter. Our funding has been cut. They seem to think our project is a dead end and see no point in going further with it."

"What? You're kidding! Do they realize all the good this will do if this works? What it'll end? No more illness? The lives it'll save? We could end so much death."

"Yes I'm sure they know all of that Carter, but our results are small and too much time has passed. Don't worry Carter. There are plenty of other projects to work on. Finish up this file you're reporting and destroy them, " the doctor pointed at the flies and spun on his heal, leaving Carter in a state of rage. He waited for the doctor to leave and then walked to a refrigerator. Pulling the door open, he took a glass vial out. He took a needle and stabbed it into the vial. Without thinking, he stuck his arm and pushed the syringe down, flooding his vein with what he believed to be a cure for almost every disease. He pulled the needle out and slammed it down on the metal counter. Carter walked over to his laptop and hit record.

"June 15th, 2012. Time: 9:11 AM. Dr. Jim Carter. "

"After being informed of Project Night Fall being shut down, I have pushed human testing up to prove this project is worth their money. At 9:00am I injected myself with serum XY 97. It was successfully tested in rabbits. Flies covered in it were released into the rabbits' enclosure. The rabbits that were infected with a rare type of swine flu were, after a few days, cured of it.

I'm using myself as the first human test subject. I have stage one cancer. I suspect after 24 hours I'll see results that will save Project Night Fall. As a precaution, I'll remain in the compound. "

18 hours Later.

"Dr. Carter, are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine."

Sweat was beading on Carter's forehead as he sat slumped over his desk. He was trying to focus on the computer screen, but the room was spinning. Fear washed through him. Had he done the right thing? Was XY 97 really ready for human testing? Pinching the bridge of his nose, he turned the knob on the micro scoop and tried once again to look at the screen. He could barely make out the green substance as it consumed his blood cells. It was changing his DNA, something that didn't happen with the rabbits'.

He grabbed his brief case and made his way out of the compound. The ferry ride to the main land seemed longer than it had ever been. A black SUV took him home. He dropped his brief case on the floor as he shut the door to his apartment and climbed into bed. His DNA continued changing. He groaned and moaned. 30 hours later, Carter's eyes opened. His once blue eyes were now a blood red and a sickly yellow. His body moved slowly towards his front door.

He staggered down the hallway.

A woman was getting off the elevator as he rounded the corner. She gasped as she took in the sight of him. She turned to get back on, but the door shut. As she spun back around he attacked, his teeth ripping into her, tearing the flesh from her body. She let out a horrible scream as she fought to get him off. His teeth sank deep into the bone. Blood dripped from his chin as she fell to the floor, her body limp. He dropped to his knees and continued to gnaw on her.

A few minutes later, another scream came from behind him. He jolted up and rushed at the other woman, doing to her the same as the first victim. A large puddle of blood surrounded her. Her stomach was ripped open, her organs lay outside her body and chucks of meat were missing.

His attack on the second woman was cut short by a man pulling him off her. A third victim.

A few minutes later the second woman began to move, her body twisting, before her eyes flashed open. They too were a red and sickly yellow.

Moments later, three gruesome people staggered down a flight of stairs, coming out into the main lobby of the apartment building, attacking anyone who came into sight. Soon, more victims came back to life, joining the fast growing hoard of flesh eating humans. Five became ten; ten became twenty so on and so on.

Carter had intended to save lives, but had instead created death; an unstoppable plague that consumed Manhattan in a matter of days. It swept across the country in weeks. The CDC tried to find a cure for the devastating pandemic, but to no avail. Survivors took shelter anywhere they could. They created barricades to keep out, what they've been titled as, Zombies. The Mayans' predictions for the end of the world in 2012 came to pass. It truly was the end of man kind; replaced with mindless killing machines.

A/N: A huge Thank you to WhyWeWashTheWindows for Beta reading this...!

REVIEW! Thanks so much. This is my first shot at a Zombie fic. I picked chars from GW A/C because the characters suited best. But it's still a " Walking dead " fic I'm not overly thrilled about this first bit but hopefully you like it and enjoy the next chapter.

Again Thanks. Look me up on FaceBook. Link's on my profile page ^_^


	2. Ruins

Night Fall

DA. Whisper

Chapter One

Ruins

You know those moments in life that change everything. Nothing's ever the same. Sometimes it's good; you meet someone, get married, have kids; live happily ever after. Sometimes it's bad. Car crash kills a loved one or your family.

I could handle either of those. I think I'd rather my whole family die in a wreck. At least then it would have been fast, maybe a moment of fear and then nothing. No more pain; no more fear. That I would take any day over what happened; what's still going on.

We're not living. This isn't life. This is hell, pure and utter hell. It has crawled from the depths and clawed its way free of the pit and evil roams this world... rules it.

The cities fell first. Our whole system failed. Chaos broke out in a matter of days.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

Flashback *

Duo woke with a start. He looked around the dark room but nothing was out of place. Rolling over onto his side, he checked the time. Just under an hour before his alarm was set to go off. Rubbing his face with his hands he threw his feet off the bed and sat up.

He made his way to the bathroom, switching the light on as he went.

It was on his way to the kitchen that he heard what must have woken him up.

Someone was screaming; a woman.

Duo grabbed his bat he left by the front door and slung it open. He rushed out, bat held high ready to swing, but the hallway was clear. He turned around and looked down the other end of the hallway; still nothing. He dropped the bat by his side and stood there for a second before returning back to his apartment. He relocked the door and set the bat back down. A few steps back to his kitchen he heard another scream; this time a man's. A loud bang from the next apartment rattled a few pictures on the kitchen wall.

"What the hell?"

He picked up his phone to dial 911, but the line was dead.

Another crash. Duo rushed out of his apartment and began to bang on his neighbor's door.

"Hello? Hey, is everything alright? "

"Help me! Please! He's crazy,"

Duo tried the door knob, but it was locked. He took a step back and with one swift kick he knocked the door in, bat held high. Rushing into the living room, he stopped. The place was torn apart. Another scream.

He ran into the bedroom and stopped in his tracks.

"What the... "

There, across the room, pressed to a door, a man was banging his hand against the wood then sliding it down, before raising it to bang again. Blood smeared all over the door.

"Hey … Hey man, are you okay?" Duo took a step forward, bat held level with his shoulder ready to swing if he had to.

The man's hand fell to his side. He rolled his shoulder and fell onto his back, facing Duo.

Duo's stomach rolled as vile rose in his throat.

There looking at him was a man with half a face. Blood soaked the front of his shirt. Flesh hung from his mouth. He made a gurgling sound as he slowly pushed himself off the door. He staggered forward.

"Wow, hold on dude; stay back!"

The man took another step. Duo took two steps back.

"I told you stay back,"

Before Duo had the chance to fully process what was happening, the man lunged at him. A deafening scream ripped through the man's chest. All Duo saw was teeth baring down on him. He lifted the bat and swung. The sound of the bat hitting the man's head was unlike anything Duo had ever heard. The man stopped and fell sideways, landing on a small in table, before crashing onto the floor.

Duo watched in horror, the bat slipping from his hands. What had he done?

"Hello?"

Duo looked up at the sound of the woman's voice.

"Yeah you...you can come out now; I think he's dead,"

She slowly opened the door.

She rushed Duo and threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you... He… he lost his mind. One minute he was sleeping on the sofa the next he was trying to eat me. He... ripped at his own face and, I think I'm going to be sick, he _ate_ his own cheek. Then he bit me

"She pulled away and held her arm out. She'd wrapped a towel around her forearm. She slowly pulled it away and showed Duo a large chunk of meat missing.

Duo took the towel and rewrapped her arm.

"It's gonna be okay. I'll take you to the hospital, "

She nodded as he took her other hand and made their way to his apartment.

He pulled on a pair of jeans and his shoes and grabbed his car keys. They started for the parking garage.

When the car pulled out onto the street Duo suddenly slammed on the brakes. What they saw floored them.

A new kind of fear spread through them as they took in the sight, the deafening sound of people screaming.

People were running for their lives. Others were attacking them, knocking them down to the ground and doing the unthinkable; eating them.

The girl screamed as someone ran into her car door. He was trying to pull the door open. She slammed her hand down on the lock and sat there staring at him, her eyes wide with fear. Soon someone else was banging on the back window, and then another. Duo spun around and looked behind him.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"Go... Just go,"

Duo turned back and took the wheel.

"Right,"

He hit the gas and spun the tires. One of the people who climbed onto the trunk rolled off and hit the ground. She jumped up and began to chase the car.

The more they drove the more chaos they found; more blood and death.

It was the beginning of the end.

*End Flashback*


	3. Living and the Dead

Night Fall

Living and the Dead

The sun was setting on a group of men standing on a rooftop, arguing in hushed voices. One man was standing near the access door to the roof. The sound of moans and shuffling feet echoed from the sidewalk under them.

"No...NO, not a chance in hell. Have ya'll lost your damn minds? I ain't doing it,"

"Gavin, we have no choice. We have to do this. There's no other way,"

"Find somebody else,"

"There is nobody else. You're a pharmacist; you know what to get. Besides, you're the fastest,"

Gavin ran his hand through his hair as he peeked over the roof's edge. He saw about a dozen flesh eaters moving slowly around the store's front door. Some were hitting the glass with their hands. Others pressed their faces to the glass, smearing blood all over the surface.

"Why can't we get what we need from this store? Why do I have to make a run for the one across the street? "

"Because Gavin, the strongest meds they have here is aspirin. And we need antibiotics... Listen we'll clear the street. Derrick and Kyle offered to use themselves as bait to lure them away. You climb down the fire escape and get in the store. Jackson's going with you just in case the store's not empty. Grab as much stuff you can fit in the bag and run like hell back here."

Gavin shook his head. He made his way to the ladder on the side of the building that led to a small ally near the side walk.

"Fine let's get this over with. If I die I'm eating you first, Maxwell,"

"Not if I shoot you first."

Duo tossed the bag at Gavin, who caught it with one hand. Derrick and Kyle walked past Gavin and began to climb down the ladder. Once they were at the bottom, they moved to the corner and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Kyle let out a loud whistle and every zombie's head whipped to their left.

Kyle and Derrick bolted down the sidewalk towards a corner then turned out of sight. The zombies began to follow, some moving faster than others. Once the last one turned the corner Jackson started down the ladder slapping Gavin on the back as he went.

They got the go ahead that the street was clear and ran head first for the pharmacy.

Jackson slowly pulled the door open. It looked like it would if it were a normal day, aside from a few shelves on their sides.

With his crossbow held up at the ready, his eyes scanned the room; it looked clear. He waved Gavin in.

Gavin rushed to the counter and started grabbing anything his hands touched and shoved it into the bag. As he did this, Jackson walked behind the counter and cleared the back; where the medicine was kept. Gavin jumped over the counter and scanned the shelves. He grabbed painkillers, antibiotics, and birth control pills; a request by the females in their small group.

Next to find was childrens medication. He spun on his heels and went for the ace bandages and First aid kits and shoved them in with the rest of his loot. He waved at Jackson when he could no longer fit anything else in the bag.

Jackson peeked out the door and only saw one flesh eater. He pulled his bow up, took aim, and fired.

He hit the flesh eater right in the eye. Its body slumped to the ground like a sack of flour. Jackson walked over to it, pulled his arrow out and both men ran back across the street. Gavin went first, then Jackson.

When they were both back on the roof, Gavin dropped the bag at Duo's feet and bent over, resting his hand' on his knees. His breathing was ragged from running.

"I hate you guys," He huffed, taking another lungful of air.

"You did great Gavin."

Duo reached down, picked up the bulging bag and slung it over his shoulder. The group headed for a makeshift bridge connecting the roof to the building next door. One by one, they waited until everyone was across then pulled it over and took it to the other side of the roof. They crossed to the next building.

It was the safest way to travel in the city. Most of the roof tops were locked and not likely to have, what could only be called, 'Zombies'.

A few more roof tops later they climbed down a fire escape into an above ground parking lot that was fenced off.

Derrick and Kyle were sitting on the tail gate of the truck, sharing a bottle of water. Duo tossed the bag in the back of the jeep.

"Heero and the others should be back soon then we can get the hell outta here,"

"Duo, we've almost cleaned this area out. I think we should try sector five next time we make a supply run, "Kyle said, tossing the empty bottle of water over his shoulder.

Duo just nodded as he scanned the roof tops. He hated standing around waiting for Heero to make it back. It wasn't like Heero was just running to a store to pick up some sugar. The markets were full of those monsters. The moment you hit the ground it was like you suddenly became a hot new item at the store. It made Duo sick to think of Heero becoming lunch meat.

Minutes passed and Duo began to pace the parking lot, following the fence line all the way around 'till he was back at the gate. He played with the padlock, the key still in it. They were mindless, but could still pull the gate open. The padlock stopped that and they weren't smart enough to turn the key.

He looked back towards the roof tops, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement. His hand still held the padlock.

Out of nowhere the gate slammed into Duo's side, shoving him. He stumbled sideways. He spun, catching his balance. A zombie had its face pressed into the chain link. Its teeth snapped shut, catching the fence. It reached its arm through the gap and snatched at the empty space.

It happened so fast Duo didn't have time to react. Kyle rushed passed him, a crow bar in hand. He knocked its arm out of the way and slammed the crow bar into its eye. Blood splattered the fence. Kyle yanked the bar free and it crumbled to the ground.

"_Phew._ Dude, pay attention,"

He slapped Duo on the back as he passed by.

"Right."

"They're back!" somebody called out.

Duo gave the zombie one last glance before turning back to the jeep. He watched Heero climb down looking to see if anything was out of place. Anything that could be wrong, torn clothes, blood, but he looked just the same as when they parted ways a few hours ago. A sense of relief washed over him.

"Hey you missed it. Duo shit himself a minute ago. Walker wanted a hug through the fence." Derrick had meant to be funny but Heero didn't find it funny at all.

"You alright?" He looked Duo over.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It didn't touch me. It hit the fence too hard, pushed me away before it reached through."

Heero nodded.

"Pack that up and let's get the hell outta here," Heero climbed into the driver's seat of the jeep. Duo followed.

Kyle stood by the padlock and waited for the cars to line up. He checked the street. Jackson and Derrick stood in the back of the trucks, guns pointed left and right. Kyle turned the key and pushed the gate open. One by one the cars pulled out and stopped. Kyle shut and relocked the gate and jumped into the bed of the truck with Derrick. The cars pulled away.

20 miles outside of the city they came to a stop at a metal gate. It creaked as it opened and they pulled into the compound, the gate closing behind them. A handful of people rushed them, every face smiling. The group made it back, all of them. A blessing now a days. Not every trip to the city went so well and not everything goes as planned. It'll only be a matter of time 'till someone else dies.

A/N: Another big thanks to WhyWeWashTheWindows for beta reading.


	4. Silence and Thought's & Jumping bridges

A/N: Trying to make my chapters longer and more detailed. Now that I have free time and all.

Chapter Three

Silence and Thoughts & Jumping Bridges

Duo pulled the flap of the tent door open and stepped out. The sky was just starting to turn from black to a dull pink. He looked over his shoulder at the sleeping form curled up in the sleeping bag and smiled.

Letting the flap fall back into place he stretched his arms out above him, bones cracking. A few yards away another form emerged from another tent. Duo nodded as they met up walking towards a dying fire.

"Morning Dixon."

"What? No _good_ mornin'?" Daryl Dixon teased as he tossed some liter knot into the smoldering coals. He bent down and blew for a second. A moment later the fire was blazing.

Duo grabbed a kettle and filled it with water from a large plastic barrel sitting on the back of a flatbed truck and hung it from a peace of rebar they'd bent for just that reason.

Daryl moaned as he held an empty cup.

"Member em' days when all you had to do was push a button, go take a leak and coffee was ready?"

Daryl's southern drawl was lick with sleep as he stared at the kettle, willing it to be ready.

"Oh those were the days," A female's voice broke in.

Carol came to a stop next to Daryl and wrapped a thin blanket around herself as she sank down next to him. Daryl turned his upper body towards Carol then pulled off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She smiled up at him. He gave her a weak smile in return then faced back towards Duo who was trying to ignore them and give them a private moment. He knew Daryl and Carol had a thing going, but respected their wish about no one knowing just yet.

Duo wrapped a hand towel around his hand and reach for the kettle, pulling it free from the fire and pouring the hot water into their cups. He refilled the kettle and replaced it back on the rebar. They each took their turn making coffee from a can of instant coffee Heero had brought back the day before. And for once there was sugar and creamer. Heero knew he needed essentials and sugar and creamer wasn't a necessity, but it was a luxury he wasn't gonna pass up. He shoved it into his backpack right before they returned to meet up with Duo and the others when they were in the city.

The three of them sat in silence for a moment until the distant sounds of the dead city reached their ears. Carol shivered and began to fill the silence with idle chatter.

Neither Duo nor Daryl really wanted to talk or listen, but they let Carol babble on. If it made her feel better than they'd both deal. She went on about being grateful for the Gain they'd brought back and how nice it was going to be to wash clothes and them actually feeling clean instead of just scrubbing them in plain water or using a bar of ivory soap that left the clothes stiff feeling once they were dry. She was looking forward to it. She ordered them both to gather their dirty laundry which was nothing more than a change of clothes and leave it by the barrel she's claimed as the washer. She'd strung a rope from one propane tank to the other and was using it to hang the clean laundry to dry. The smile on her face at the idea of having clean laundry left a smile on Daryl's face. Duo noticed. Daryl noticed Duo noticing and he turned his head away, but the smile never left his face.

Later the rest of the camp was up and moving. Kyle relieved his brother, Derrick from watch duty and he tiredly made his way to his tent to crash for a few hours.

The compound was nothing more than an old military weigh station. Three stone walls butted up to a cliff with a large metal gate. Two huge tanks of propane lined the back wall, both empty.

The vehicles lined up facing the gate just in case they had to bail in a hurry.

Half the group was gone leaving a handful of people worrying and stressing about the void in the group.

They'd left to scout further to the north. They figured going north would be best. The cold seemed to slow the walkers down. Their bodies didn't run as hot as live humans. They weren't cold either. The friction of their moving limbs caused heat but it didn't keep them warm enough and their bodies froze much faster, slowing them. At the very least winters would be safer, if only for a few months out of the year. And further north people went, the lower population was.

It seemed like a good idea. So the unofficial leader of the group, Rick, his son Carl, Andrea, Glenn and Maggie left three days before the run to the city, leaving Duo in charge of the remaining group, which had grown. Before Rick and his group, it was just Duo, his boyfriend Heero, Kyle, his brother Derrick, Gavin, Jackson, his wife, Lexy and their seven year old daughter, Heather.

Now the only people in the camp were them and a couple of guys that joined Rick's group a few months before joining with Duo and his people.

Rick and the others had only planed on being gone for five days. If they weren't back by then, than something was wrong and Duo was to pull everybody out and move on.

Something caught Duo's attention; Judy the smallest member of the group was running across the front area. Each pass brought her closer to the gate. She'd only just recently found her running legs. She wasn't even walking when the groups got together. She was a little piece of heaven to everybody, hope. She was happy all the time; always laughing and playing. She hardly showed any fear in the scary world around her. She'd look at a walker like it was nothing more than an everyday annoyance. She knew not to go towards one; she knew to instead run to one of the grownups. She was brave and was going to grow up strong in this world. Duo swore the kids in the group would grow old. It was his mission to keep them alive and he strived to give them some sense of normal.

Judy's path was closer to the gate than Duo liked. Just as he was about to call out to her to move away, Beth swooped in and pulled Judy into her arms. She must have felt the same uneasiness of the small child so close to the gate. Beth spun about for a second and Judy let out a laugh.

Beth put Judy down, next to Heather, and sat down on the tailgate of the truck and watched the girls play.

Duo noticed the volleyball, Heather was rolling towards Judy, was going flat and made a mental note to pick up more stuff for the kids next run to the city.

Heero stepped up next to Duo and wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled Duo tight up against him. Duo breathed in Heero's scent, his body relaxing a bit.

"I want to make another run, to the city or the small town a few miles east of here."

Heero looked down at Duo.

"Why? We just made a run yesterday. We shouldn't have to make another run 'till after Rick and them get back."

"Yeah, I know, but we didn't get anything for the kids and the only ball they have is going flat. I want to get some more stuff for them to play with,"

Duo's face was stern. He pulled away from Heero and took his hand as they made their way towards the kids.

"See what I mean?"

Heero looked at the nearly flat volleyball and nodded.

"Guess we'll get together with Daryl and come up with a 'Toys for Tots' mission."

Duo smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

Daryl's crossbow bounced on his backside as he climbed a cell tower, his breath heavy. He stopped just under half way up the tower and pulled a pair of binoculars up to his face.

"Well damn it to hell."

The bridge they used to cross into the city was crawling with walkers. Not crawling, more like a mob rush of walkers trying to get at something.

Daryl scanned the bridge trying to find what had the walkers all worked up. His eyes stopped on a car that was trying to weave in and around the abandoned cars on the bridge. If they'd used the other side of the bridge they would have been able to cross without the hassle; his group had already cleared it so they could get over and back without worry.

Daryl watched as the car wedged itself between a SUV and a truck and got stuck. The driver tried to back out, but it was useless. As the walkers got closer Daryl could see three people jump out of the car and make a mad dash towards the end of the bridge, running, jumping over debris. Daryl found himself rooting like a football fan.

"Come on...Come on...Go!"

As far as he was able to tell it was two men and a woman. They were moving fast, but the walkers were just as fast.

The woman stumbled and almost fell. The men kept going, the distance between them and her grew, and Daryl found himself getting angry.

"Leave a woman behind like that…What in the hell is wrong with them?"

She stooped on top of the trunk of a car and spun to look behind her, then back around towards the men, who were pretty far ahead of her by then. She glanced back towards the walkers then to the side of the bridge. It took Daryl all of two seconds to realize what she was thinking.

"Jump woman," Daryl nearly shouted.

Sweat began to form on his brow. It was starting to annoy him, but he couldn't wipe it away without putting the binoculars down or letting his death grip on the tower go.

He ignored it.

She stood on the trunk bouncing a little, trying to work up the nerve. The walkers were about fifty feet from her. She spun on her heels and jumped down from the trunk. She pulled herself up onto the side of the bridge and looked over her shoulder at the walkers who were almost close enough to touch.

Daryl held his breath as he watched. She let go of the wire and jumped.

The walkers rushed the side grabbing at the empty space she'd just left.

Daryl couldn't see her anymore; the other side of the bridge blocked his view of her fall.

He dropped the binoculars and started back down the tower. Before he was completely down from the tower he was barking to leave.

"We gotta get a move on. Let's go!"

He jumped into the driver's seat of the jeep him, Duo, and Heero had taken out.

Heero and Duo jumped in looking at Daryl for an explanation.

"Bridge ain't no good. People dragged a bunch of walkers on it."

Daryl threw the jeep in reverse and slammed on the gas, spinning the jeep back towards the road.

"Then why the hell are we rushing towards it?"

Heero had to grab the roll bar to steady himself.

"Them people left a woman behind. Sumbitches. She jumped off the bridge to get away."

The jeep's brakes barked as Daryl slammed them. It was barely in park when Daryl jumped out, Heero and Duo right behind him. A walker stumbled in front of Daryl just before he made it to the water's edge. He lifted his crossbow and the bolt buried into its head. It fell limp; Daryl ignored it.

At the edge, a few feet between the water and the lip, a small wooden dock was below and on it was the girl from the bridge trying to pull herself up.

All three men jumped down and reached for her. She screamed at first and pulled away, almost spiraling backwards into the freezing water. Heero got ahold of her arm and pulled her up out of the water.

Duo and Daryl talked at once, trying to show her they weren't walkers.

She settled after a second.

"Well damn woman, you've got balls."

Heero and Duo both nodded in agreement.

A/N: Don't forget to review! thanks ^_^ Next Chapter will be up by this weekend maybe two chapter's Huge Thanks to Whywewashthewindows. I have more free time now that winter break is over.


	5. Hurt Feelings

A/N: Sorry for the delay for any of the readers reading this. Caught the flu.

Chapter Four

Hurt Feelings

Beth, Heather and Judy sat playing with large building blocks that Duo and they had brought back with them, along with some other toys they were able to find in a small toy store in the town a few miles away.

Toys weren't the only thing they brought back and not everyone was happy about it either.

Rick and the others had made it back an hour before Duo and them.

They all stood around the water truck. Some were glaring, some seemed distant, and a few seemed welcoming. Rick and Carol were not in the welcoming party.

Both had tight lips, their eyes glaring at the newcomer, and Daryl, who also wore an angry glare directed towards Rick and Carol.

"What the hell is ya'lls problem? Like we ain't taken no newcomers before," Daryl gave a pointed glance towards Duo.

"Problem, _Daryl_, is we don't know this woman. You should have held her someplace else 'till we talked with her. What if she takes off and brings other back? You've put us all in danger; you, Duo and Heero. You all should have been more careful. "

Daryl grunted. Duo and Heero nodded.

They both knew Rick was right, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

"We can't change what happened so now we deal," Duo broke in.

Daryl moved closer to the woman which caused Carol to grow angrier. She watched as Daryl got close enough that their elbows were brushing together. She huffed, rolled her eyes, spun on her heel, and stormed off. The others stared after her. Her reaction wasn't a Carol like reaction. She was always the shy timid and loving carol. The angry standoffish Carol was a sight. She looked over her shoulder back towards Daryl who was still looking down at the woman next to him. He acted as if he hadn't noticed Carol's exit. She huffed again and stormed into her tent, throwing the flap closed.

Carol paced from one side of her tent to the other kicking the blanket out of her way before she flopped down on the floor.

Outside, the group broke off as Rick, Daryl, the newcomer, and Duo and Heero stood talking things through. Daryl opted to keep an eye on the woman who said her name was Chrissy. Rick and the others glanced at each other, having the same thought, _Carol isn't gonna be happy about this_, but they all nodded. After they agreed, they all went their own way. Rick sat down with Judy and Carl joined his dad. Heero and Duo went to work sorting through the supplies and making a list of things they still needed. Later that day, they had a meeting planned to talk about moving on. They all felt they were still too close to a large city and it was only a matter of time before they became overrun.

Daryl and Chrissy sat together, talking. She explained that she'd been part of a small group that had just moved into the city; not their brightest idea. She and four others had gone into the city to look for supplies when they found themselves in the middle of a horde. The 4th member got himself killed. He panicked and ran ahead without looking and smacked into another group of walkers; they barely made it back to their car. They came to the bridge and Daryl saw the rest for himself.

She was surprised they'd just left her like that. She was hurt, but the group wasn't that tight. It consisted mostly of people that banded together over a short period of time. She was on a first named basis with only a few people; she had no real ties to them and made it clear she didn't want to go back. Not after they bailed on her and left her for dead. She wasn't expecting to live when she jumped off the bridge. She thought the fall would kill her but she'd rather go out with a splash than get torn to shreds in a violent bloody death. Daryl couldn't help but agree; he would have done the same and admitted he was urging her from afar to do just that. She smiled.

The people she was with only seemed to care about one thing; their life. If losing one saved them, they'd throw that person to the wolves. From the little time she'd spent with this group she could tell they all cared about each other and she hoped they'd allow her to stay with them. She didn't want to go back to the other group. She had no family there and no real friends.

And she was starting to really like Daryl. He was the only one openly welcoming and he stood up for her to what she guessed was the leaders of this group. And from the way they reacted to the way he stood up to them, she guessed he was an important part of the group himself.

That afternoon, Daryl left Chrissy with Carl and joined the others as they got together to talk about what their next move was going to be.

Rick and the others had found a prison in New Hampshire mostly clear of walkers. They had gone in and cleared a cell block and the cafeteria and the whole front courtyard. It was like a gift from God. For once they slept without fear of getting attacked in the middle of the night. Once they were rested they high tailed it back to New York. They went over the list of supplies and put together what they needed for the trip and what they'd need once they arrived. A run back to the city was planned to get what they could while the others packed up the camp and got everything together. They were going to leave once the group got back.

Daryl relieved Carl of watch duty and sat down with Chrissy.

Carol watched as Chrissy's face lit up. Daryl smiled back. He _smiled._ Carol's heart sank. She felt like she was going to throw up.

Maybe the only reason Daryl was with her was because she was his only choice. Beth was too young and the only other female up for grabs was Judy.

Now there was another grown woman; a better looking woman, a _younger_ woman. Daryl was no longer interested in her. She felt like she'd been cast aside. Her whole perception of Daryl started to shift. Maybe he wasn't this amazing man, this kind and sweet and loving man she thought he was behind his hard, cold exterior he showed everybody. She watched for a minute longer before turning away. She walked to Rick.

"Rick I'd like to go on the run too."

Rick looked surprised, but nodded.

"Any reason why?" He glanced over at Daryl chatting with Chrissy and figured Carol just needed to get away.

"I just need to get out. Maybe I can find some new clothes for the group. Since I wash them I know everybody's sizes. "

Rick nodded again. He knew that wasn't her reason but he wasn't going to press it. He could see the pain in her eyes and he wanted to walk over and knock Daryl on his ass.

Daryl jumped into the front seat of the jeep, his crossbow in his lap. He didn't notice Carol in the back seat. Rick pulled the jeep to a stop outside the gate and waited for Kyle and Gavin. They both jumped in, situating themselves on either side of Carol. Daryl looked over his shoulder and glared.

"What the hell is this?" He jerked his chin towards Carol.

"She wanted to go." Rick put the jeep in gear and started to move forward.

"Like hell she is! Stop the jeep. She ain't going nowhere but back with the others. "

Carol's face grew red with anger.

"You are NOT my boss, Dixon. You don't OWN me. I'm nothing to you so don't try and control me, " She looked at Rick. "Drive."

Rick nodded and started for the city again.

Daryl was taken aback by the anger in Carol's voice and the hard expression on her face. Her words cut deep. He huffed, hurt, and spun back facing the road.

Inside the city, Rick parked the jeep inside the gated parking lot. They all piled out. Daryl moved to the ladder, not waiting for the others. They followed behind, slower. They chose a store they hadn't hit yet. After looking inside for any walkers or anyway for them to get in, they went to work.

They gathered the supplies they could find. Carol moved to the racks of clothes hanging in the back. She found a large duffel bag and began to fill it with heavy clothes for the group. It was almost winter; they were going to need them.

There was a corner of the store that had baby and toddler clothes. She spent more time there than anywhere else. By the time she filled the bag she could barely get it to zip closed. It was heavy. She had to drag it back to the door leading out to the roof. She began to doubt she'd be able to get it back to the jeep. Daryl walked through the door to wait for Carol. The others had already met back up on the roof. He saw Carol struggling with the bag and gruffly walked over and grabbed it, heaving it over his shoulder. He was surprised at how heavy it was. Carol glared.

"Don't do me any favors, Dixon," She stormed past him, knowing she really wasn't going to be able to haul it up the stairs and across a number of rooftops to the jeep.

Daryl dropped the bag and grabbed Carol spinning her back towards him. He glared at her for a moment, not really sure what he wanted to say; he just knew he wanted to know what her damn problem was.

"Woman?"

She yanked her arm free. Her right fist balled like she was going to hit him.

They glared at each other. Then Carol spun around and rushed up the stairs leaving Daryl alone. He reached down and grabbed the bag and followed.

They made it back without any problems. As soon as the jeep was parked back inside the gate Carol went to rush for her tent before she realized her tent was gone. It had been packed up. The cars were all moved forward, packed and ready to go. Daryl jumped out and grabbed the pack, shoving it into the back of the suburban. He slammed the gate shut. He turned just in time to see Carol jump into the back of the ford.

"Everybody ready? Everything packed up? "

Rick glanced around. Everybody nodded.

Gavin jumped into the driver's seat of the suburban.

Derrick was already in the truck with the water tank. Rick had the keys to the jeep.

Carl tossed the keys to the ford to Daryl.

"Great, " he huffed and got in.

On the road, Daryl looked into the rearview mirror and saw Carol asleep in the back seat, wedged between the door and the bags that were in the backseat with her. Carl was asleep in the passenger seat.

Daryl rolled his eyes.

They drove for hours not stopping. Daryl fumed the whole time trying to figure out what Carol's problem was. He wasn't use to her temper. He liked the fact that she had one; he thought it made her sexy. He just didn't like the fact that her anger was towards him. He didn't understand what changed. A few nights ago they were fine. They weren't open about their relationship, not yet anyways, but he thought she was happy with him. He thought they had something good going there. Maybe she changed her mind. Maybe he wasn't good enough for her. Maybe he lacked in another department. He punched the steering wheel, jolting Carl from his slumber.

"What? What's wrong? "He looked around franticly.

"Nothing Carl, everything's fine. Go back to sleep man."

Carl nodded, rubbing his face with his hands. He looked ahead at his dad's jeep and then behind them at the cars following, making sure everybody was where they should be.

Daryl looked back at Carol, expecting her to still be asleep, but she was looking at him, a pained expression on her face. It made Daryl's chest hurt.

_God, what was this woman's problem?_ He thought to himself before he turned his attention back to the road.

A/N: Please review. Thanks ^_^


	6. Boiling Blood

A/N: Sorry the story just took a life of it's own.. I started this off to be about Duo and the group as a whole and its kinda morphed in a DaCarol fic.

Chapter Five

Boiling Blood

The hallway was pitch black as Duo , Daryl and Rick slowly moved along. Clearing another passage of any lingering walkers, walkers that might have been missed. Making sure the prison was safe as possible. The others were held up in the cell block they'd turned into a living area. It was the safest placed they'd ever had since the end of the world. People were able to breath for once. To Relax. The only time people stressed was when they left the cell block to clear hallways and secure doors that would allow walkers inside. They'd already sealed off most of the doors that lead to the outside. Sealed doors that lead to places they'd never go. They weren't worried about the back half of the prison. They were able to seal off that part. There was no way of clearing that area and securing it. The brick wall was down and it took that section of fence with it. There was no way of rebuilding it.

They cleared the courtyard of the dead. Checked and rechecked the fences. Made sure the locks on the gates were good. It wasn't just about keeping walkers out it was also to make sure they didn't get any unwanted visitors to sneak inside the prison. They'd been there almost a week and had gotten a lot done in a short amount of time. People were starting to hope.

Began to hope they'd found a place where they could start over. A place they could live inside a world of death.

The only issue they were facing now was when they'd all gotten there they found the prison wasn't empty. Not walkers but a few prisoners that had been locked up inside. They had No idea what was going on outside the fences. They knew that people had gone insane. Started to eat each other. They were dying and then getting back up. They locked themselves inside a room that was joined with the cafeteria. A guard padlocked the door and they weren't able to get out. They survived by eating the food that was stocked in the kitchen.

Another gift.

They'd cleared another cell block for them but one man wasn't happy. He wanted the cell block Duo and the others were in. He acted like he was the self appointed king of the prison. Something that didn't sit well with Duo , Rick and Daryl. It put them on edge how he was acting. He felt like a threat.

The other two seemed okay but weren't trusted either.

Carol was still in a funk after figuring out that Daryl wasn't interested in her any more once the new girl joined the group. She avoided Her and Daryl. When they were around she busied herself with Judy or cooking or what ever needed to be done at the time. If there wasn't anything to be done she hid in her cell. Daryl's distant behavior just confirmed to her that she was right and it broke her heart.

She taken to spending time outside working with Axel one of the former inmates who'd taken a real liking to her. She thought it was harmless and enjoyed his chatter. They began to cultivate the ground. They were going to start a garden.

Another week had gone by. A few walkers lined the fence but that had become the norm. They'd see people working in the garden or walking the fence looking for a weak spot that needed to be fixed. A walker fighting with it caused it to weaken and they'd go out kill the walker and reenforce the fence.

The uneasiness grew with the one inmate while the other two tried to tried blend in and become part of the group.

They kept a close eye on him as he moved around never really letting him stray out of sight. Always fearful he'd try and do something and put the group in danger.

Axel kept as far from him as he could always a few feet away from Carol which was really working on Daryl's last nerve. Always eying Carol every time She'd twitch Axel noticed and would adjust his body so she was always in his line of sight. Always placing a hand on her shoulder or back side. Carol didn't really care for the touching but blew it off as friendliness. Atleast he wasn't some crazy rapist or anything. Or so she thought anyways.

Daryl would glare at them from across the table at dinner time which confused Carol. If looks could kill Axel would have died days ago. Daryl would gladly dig a hole for Axel and drop his body in and shovel the dirt back over his body with a smile on his face.

Daryl's eyes grew small as he watched Axel lean over and say something to Carol and she smiled. Daryl shoved his chair back and stormed out of the room. Pacing his perch he fumed.

" Stupid fucking hillbilly "

He snatched his bow up and started for the watch tower. Glenn and Maggie were in the middle of a make out session when Daryl throw the metal door open causing them both to jump out their skin.

" I got this... Go some place else with that " he snapped.

Glenn looked annoyed but Maggie understood. She could see what was going on. Thing's changed between him and carol and he didn't know how to handle it and then comes along Chrissy and Axel making things worse between them. She took Glenn's hand and lead the way back to the cell block to grab some food. Telling Glenn Carol made a cobbler.

He sat fuming for hour's until T-Dog came in and took over. Daryl dragged his ass back to the cell block. He was halfway up the stairs to his perch when something caught his eye. A shadow. Out of place going into Carol's cell. He stopped turning to face the cell and listened. He didn't hear anything and thought maybe he was seeing things. He started back up the stairs then stopped suddenly spinning back towards the cell. He could have sworn he heard a muffled sound. He took off like a bat out of hell down the stairs and straight to carol's cell. His first thought was a walker got in some how. His blood turned to ice at the thought. Carol's cell and she had the baby that night. His bow raised as he stepped into the cell. It was dark and he couldn't make anything out really. Carol's bed looked oddly misshapen.

One long step and he was at the bedside reaching down. His hand grabbed a handful of cloth and he yanked back hard causing the person he pulled off carol's bed to slam into the metal bars behind them.

Carol shot out of the bed and snatched up Judy and got behind Daryl. Placing her hand between his shoulder blades causing a shock of pleasure to run through both of them. It was the first time since they got there that they'd touched each other. Daryl didn't let that distract him as he moved from under her hand and rush the person leaning on the bars.

" What the fuck man? Can't me and my ol' lady have a moment with out you glaring? "

Axel straightened up fixing his ill fitted shirt.

Carol's face fell.

" Ol' Lady? I think... "

Daryl interrupted

" She ain't your fucking Ol' lady "

Daryl grabbed Axel by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up a little.

" You come near her again you fucking hick and i'll make damn sure you become some walkers lunch "

Axel pulled free.

" You ain't her boss you can't tell her who she can and can't see and if she want's me than you need to learn your place "

Carol tried to say something but daryl's temper got the better of them both.

" I ain't telling HER what to do im telling YOU to stay the fuck away from her you hear me son? "

Daryl pushed Axel out the cell.

Axel pushed back pissing Daryl off even more. He was ready to beat the snot out of him.

" And she don't fucking want you you fucking hillbilly. "

" Oh yeah what make's you say that? Cause from the way we been towards each other says other wise SON "

Axel smirked.

For a moment anyways. Daryl's fist came flying out of no where. Making contact with Axel's nose. An odd cracking sound filled the other wise quiet cell block.

Axel roared in pain. His hand's flying up to his face. Blood gushing between his fingers.

Rick and the others came rushing out of their cell's. Guns and knives ready.

" What the hell is going on? " Rick demanded as he reached Daryl's side

" That mother fucker has got to go. "

Rick understood. Daryl had reached his line in the sand. Axel went to far with Carol and Daryl was there to see it.

_Poor bastard_ Rick thought shaking his head.

" Alright everybody Back to your bed's fun's over."

Rick walked over to Axel.

" If I were you I'd go back to your cell block and stay as far away from Carol as you can till " She " says other wise "

Axel nodded towards Rick as he turned to leave holding his head back blood still gushing out. An angry sneer on his face as he gave Daryl one last glance.

Rick took Judy from Carol giving her a pointed glance at Daryl. She nodded handing Rick a half a bottle of milk for Judy.

She walked out of her cell and took Daryl by the elbow and pulled him back into her cell. He let her.

He was still angry but his eye's were cast down towards the floor. She put her hand under his chin and lifted his face so that he was looking at her.

" Thank you "

She gave him a weak smile then glared

" What the hell was that about?"


	7. A Little Bit of Heaven

A/N: This story hasn't really gone anywhere and so I've lost interest in it. This will more than likely be the last chapter.

A Little bit of Heaven.

The group was outside aside from Daryl and Carol who were inside. Chrissy stood next to Axel who had a nasty black eye forming; Daryl must have broken his nose.

He looked pissed and in pain as he shifted from one foot to the other. No one was really sure what happened just knew that he'd done something to piss Daryl off. Not the brightest move on his part. Rick slapped his shoulder and gave him a "Poor bastard " nod and walked away.

Axel was relieved that no one knew that he'd made a pretty bold move on Carol last night. It could have been easily taken as a rape attempt, which it wasn't, but he was an inmate. They could think that's why he was in there in the first place and give him the boot. He'd be out on his ass to fend for himself. He'd die out there and he knew it.

Chrissy rested her hand on his shoulder. It was soft and Axel smiled at her.

Well now this could be interesting.

"That looks painful."

"Yeah I'd give my left foot for a bag of frozen peas."

She smiled again and went to Beth and took Judy from her, giving Beth a break.

She'd taken to the group pretty fast and soon they were trusting her with the baby and other chores. She was so happy that she'd been found by this group. She was safe and wasn't hungry and was able to relax and not on edge all the time.

She was closer to Daryl than anyone else and had at first thought there could be something more between them, but he'd put a stop to that train of thought the first day at the prison.

Embarrassed wasn't the right word to use as she stood there. She was pretty sure he was just as embarrassed as his face fell and then turned so red she almost giggled.

They were standing by the gate as the others hauled some walker bodies out to the field and set fire to them. He was still on watch duty. She'd moved closer to him than she'd dared before and ran her hand down his bare arm. She was testing the water. He jerked his body away from her and glared for a moment before he relaxed.

"What?"

She shifted from one foot to the other trying to think of something to say. He didn't react the way she'd hoped and she felt a little self-conscious now.

" I...well I thought since you seemed to hang around me so much, and I know you're keeping an eye on me because of the others, but I thought maybe it was because you liked me a little too."

His face became crimson and he began to shift uncomfortable.

"Nah it ain't like that... I mean I like ya, but not like that."

"Oh... So is it because of Carol? Are you two together? "

He grunted.

"Hell if I know. She ain't acting like it no more, always mad at me and shit … Avoiding me."

By then the others walked back inside the gate and Daryl pulled it shut and relocked it.

It gave him a good excuse to end that conversation.

He stormed off back to the prison.

Carol turned the faucet on again, thankful the prison had running water. She poured the right amount of water into a bowl of powered eggs and began to beat it till it was the right thickness. She turned the gas stove on and began to cook breakfast.

She was avoiding Daryl. He was leaning on the door frame glaring at her; she didn't want to talk to him. She just wanted to cook and take care of the chores and do something so long as it wasn't talking with Daryl. She didn't...Couldn't handle Daryl telling her it wasn't going to work out. She wasn't sure she could stay if she heard those words. It would kill her, so being out in the world alone seemed more favorable. At least she wouldn't have to watch Daryl and Chrissy together. It wasn't until Chrissy came into the picture that she realized just how much she loved Daryl. Like, the world be damned, so long as Daryl was ok, kind of love.

Her heart was on the floor as she thought that. She grabbed the counter to steady herself; she felt sick.

This was killing her. She almost laughed.

She lived with a tyrant of a husband, got beat daily, then the world turns to shit and she loses her family to it and survived, but losing Daryl is killing her.

Her head was bowed as she held onto the counter. Daryl came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight to his chest. She could feel him breathe her in. Her whole body relaxed for a moment. She leaned into him enjoying the feel of his chest on her back, the warmth of him. She melted.

It was a show of affection in a public setting. Something he'd never done before. She wanted to turn in his arms and kiss him. Feel his lips on hers again; chapped lips and all.

Bet Chrissy would be upset if she walked in on this. Her whole body tensed as that thought crossed her mind.

Daryl noticed and turned her so she was facing him. Her head bowed looking at his feet.

She was confused, hurt, and scared.

"Carol?" His voice was soft.

He lifted her face by her chin and forced her to look at him and his heart broke as he saw tears flowing down her cheeks.

He almost lashed out at her, but instead he pulled her to him in a crushing hug.

He didn't know what to do; he was lost.

His natural reaction was to demand what her problem was but he knew that would just make things worse and he wanted to fix what had broken between them.

He knew he cared for her, knew she made him happy. He felt human when she was with him; whole.

He just didn't know how much he cared till she pulled away.

And watching her with Axel killed him. He felt betrayed and became angry.

But now he knew she didn't have feelings for Axel…the way she got behind him last night, away from Axel. He knew she wasn't interested in him like that.

He lashed out at her then and all it did was get him kicked out her cell. She shut him down before he had a chance to ask her what the hell was going on.

And this morning she walked past him without so much as a morning nod. So he followed her to the kitchen. Mostly he wanted to talk, but also he didn't want her alone just in case Axel came back for seconds. He watched as she started her work.

But after she started the eggs her shoulders slumped and her head bowed. She grabbed the counter and swayed a little. His heart ached for her and he couldn't help but go to her. She was sad and all he wanted was to comfort her.

"You shouldn't hold me like this," Her voice was weak.

Confused, he pulled her away a bit more and the pain in her eyes was almost too much.

"What the hell is your problem? Why are you pushing me away? You spent so much damn time pulling me to you and now you don't want me no more?"

He wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question.

Her eyes grew hard as ice. She pulled herself away from him and turned back to the stove. The eggs were a bit overdone. She pulled the pan off the fire and dumped the eggs into a bowl and added the last of the egg mixture into the pan and returned it to the stove.

He spun her back towards him.

"Answer me woman." She glared at him for a minute.

"You want me to answer that when you've already made your choice. Not very fair of you is it?"

"What n' the hell you talking 'bout'? What damn choice?"

She turned back to the stove, but he wasn't having it and forced her to face him again.

"Answer me," His face was hard and angry. It scared her.

"You chose Chrissy and you want me to admit that I love you? You're a fucking asshole Dixon, that's what you are, but there! I LOVE YOU! Happy? I've given you space, I let you be; I tried to make this easy on you and you want to make this so hard on me, well you can go fuck yourself Dixon. Now get the hell away from me." She spun herself so fast back around to the stove she almost fell. He reached out on instinct and steadied her. She pushed him away.

But he grabbed her wrists and yanked her to him.

"Shut your mouth woman and listen to what I got to say,"He loosened his grip and took her hands in his.

"I ain't chosen no one but you. I don't know what n' the hell gave you that stupid ass idea but that's the truth. Now stop acting like a damn fool. "

She almost laughed, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was "Oh".

He pulled her hands up and wrapped them around his neck, took her by the waist and pulled her gently to him and in such a slow sweet way. He brought his lips to hers and she melted into him. The moment seemed to last a life time. He'd never been that open and sweet about his affection towards her. His hands caressed her face in slow soft motion. His lips were demanding, but gentle.

He pulled back a little and looked her straight in the eye.

"I love you to, you dumb ass."

She barked out a laugh and pulled his mouth back to hers.

"Well ain't this some shit." Both Daryl and Carol jumped at the sound of Axel's voice.

"Shut the hell up."

Daryl pulled Carol to his side.

Axel rolled his eyes, his face twitching a little in pain. He shook his head and walked out.

They could hear him down the hall halfway back to the cell block calling for Chrissy.

"Hey Chrissy wanna take watch duty in the tower?"

Daryl grunted. Carol was in heaven.

A/N/ Done … Thanks for reading


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